Zeack News

Chennai, Jun 11 : A US citizen was arrested at the airport here on charges of carrying a loaded revolver and a security breach came to light after he claimed that he carried the same weapon when he flew in here from New Delhi a fortnight back.

Police said Sellmeyer(58) was detained by CISF personnel when they found the Austrian-made 'Calibre 40' weapon while scanning his baggage as he arrived to board a Mumbai-bound flight and handed him over to airport authorities.



He had come to Chennai last week from New Delhi to undergo treatment at a private hospital.



Official sources said that during a joint interrogation by the CISF and airport officals, Sellmeyer reportedly confessed that he had on May 27 travelled from Delhi to Chennai with the same gun on a domestic flight.



The passenger had kept the gun in his baggage which was cleared by the security agencies that time, sources said.



Sellmeyer told reporters that he was not aware of the Indian laws that carrying firearms in the flight was an offence. 'I realise it now', he said when reporters asked whether he was aware of the rules.



Police said that they recovered 35 bullets and three magazines.



A spokesperson of Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) when queried about a possible security breach said " we have referred the matter to the concerned security agencies who are ascertaining the facts and will reveal once all details have been obtained." The American Consulate here has been informed about his arrest, officials said, adding the Consulate had confirmed that Sellmeyer was a US citizen. A consulate official did not anwser reporter's queries.